community project record
book 2012
community project record
book 2012
To receive this publication in an accessible format phone 9096 0000, using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required.
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, May, 2017.
Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this publication show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This publication may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Available at www.youth.vic.gov.au
Contents
What is Advance? 7
Community project / volunteering activities 7
Community project examples 7
What young people think about advance 8
How would you describe Advance? 8
We learnt… 8
Help Line 9
Feeling stuck? 9
Get your group back on track! 9
Overwhelmed? 10
Making phone calls! 10
Support each other 10
Record sheets 11
My journal 11
Meetings record 11
Skills record 11
Tasks record 11
Reflection 11
Project planning sheet 11
Timeline 11
Student/community organisation project agreement 11
Budget and resources 11
What is Advance?
Advance is a school-based program that provides practical opportunities for young people to participate in their local community.
Advance’s goal is to enable young people’s participation and volunteering in community life, and is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to valuing the contributions of young people, listening to their views and providing them with genuine opportunities for involvement in their communities.
Through Advance, you will have the opportunity to identify issues of concern or interest in your community and work in partnership with suitable community organisations to develop and deliver a community-based project or series of activities. The project or activities must be of benefit to the broader community.
Community project / volunteering activities
A key component of Advance is the development of a partnership between young people, the school and a community organisation to deliver one or more community projects or a series of volunteering activities.
Community projects or volunteering activities can take a variety of forms including:
• Taking part in volunteering opportunities, such as Conservation Volunteers Victoria, a creek revegetation program, peer mediation or interacting with residents at a local nursing home
• Planning and implementing an information campaign
• Developing, implementing and evaluating a community event or
• Producing a resource for their community.
In some cases, more than one community organisation may need to be involved to satisfactorily implement the project/s or series of volunteer activities the young people have chosen.
You may also choose to work in partnership with multiple community organisations on a range of different volunteering activities.
The essential elements of Advance are that young people DO something with their community, that they do it in PARTNERSHIP with a community organisation and that it involves young people’s CHOICE.
Community project examples
There are many different types of community projects and volunteer activities you can undertake as part of Advance. Following is a sample of community projects and volunteer activities that may assist in providing you with some ideas for what your school group may wish to undertake through Advance:
• Planting trees with local Landcare group
• Painting fish on drains to remind people what we put down the drain goes into our rivers
• Teaching older people about computers and the internet
• Volunteering at a local ‘op shop’ and then opening a second-hand uniform shop at school.
• Designing promotional brochures for an animal rescue shelter
• Lifesaving on the beaches through local Surf Clubs and doing real patrols.
• Sailing and ten-pin bowling with people who have a disability
• Assessing applications for grants for youth programs through local programs
• Running a music program for kindergarten children
• Planning and running activities at a local festival
• Recording community service announcements for local radio stations
• Establishing a trail-bike course/track in the local community
• Organising an environmental awareness day
• Developing an introductory kit for new residents to the local area
• Lobbying for improved lighting at local skate park
• Developing plaques for significant historical sites with a local historical society.
‘Designed, managed and led by young people.’
What young people think about advance
How would you describe Advance?
• Fun and enjoyable and you get something out of it.
• Different
• You get self confidence
• We went out and did different courses such as driver education, food safety and radio broadcasting
• You still work; it is just in a different way.
We learnt…
Planning skills
• Planning our time
• Stick to the tasks and follow through
• We had a vision and broke to down in to smaller parts to be able to succeed.
Communication skills
• Negotiating with sponsors
• Talk to people out of our comfort zone
• Importance of one person being the groups contact person
• How to communicate with different types of people – older people and people of different nationalities
• How to interview people better
• Talking on the phone to people I don’t know was really hard - this course gave me the confidence to speak up to others.
How is it different from other classes?
• It is practical
• Outdoor work
• More responsibility
• No teachers on your back
• Treated as an adult
• Don’t have to write too much
• No exams
• More outgoing
• It is work but it doesn’t really feel like it – not like it does behind a desk.
Teamwork
• Accepting responsibility – doing the things I said I would
• Working together with friends and people I don’t usually hang out with
• Solving problems as a group.
In 2009, young people participated in pre and post program surveys. Young people reported that they highly valued the opportunity presented by Advance to contribute to their personal development, skill development and community engagement.
The reported outcomes for 2009 include:
• Improved ability to take on new and challenging activities (80%)
• Increased confidence in making decisions to solve problems (69%)
• Improved communication skills (75.5%)
• Improvement in overall school performance (50%)
• Opportunities to work in teams with other people (77%)
• Young people’s intention to continue their involvement with their community partner post program (63%).
Young people also reported gaining a better understanding of diversity, the environment and of recreational, sporting and social pursuits.
Help Line
Feeling stuck?
• Go back to the start.
• Look at your project plan.
• Read over your journal sheets and check your timeline.
• Brainstorm! - Write down the things you are stuck on and a range of possible solutions. Use the Problem Solving Worksheets from your teacher/facilitator.
• Need ideas? - Talk to your classmates. Think about your passions, hobbies and interest.
Get your group back on track!
• Take a break for a minute and agree on a time to start again.
• Discuss as a team what is going wrong.
• Use the problem solving worksheets to help make choices.
• If your group is arguing - Ask you teacher/ facilitator to help by listening to each person concerns and helping you come up with a decision.
• Play a warm up together and have a laugh.
Overwhelmed?
• Write down all the things that are worrying you. Then look at the list and put them in order of importance - What needs to be dealt with first? Then work through the list one thing at a time.
• Ask for help or advice from your teacher/ facilitator or community organisation contact.
• Look at your project timeline with your community organisation - Is the timeline still realistic?
• Remember - One thing at a time!
Making phone calls!
• Be prepared - Who do you want to speak to and what do you want to say? Write some notes and questions.
• Practice the phone call first.
• When your call is answered - Introduce yourself ‘Hello, my name is ______from (your school)’ and ask for the person you want to speak to.
• If they are not there, ask if you can leave a message or if an answering machine answers - Leave your name, contact number and reason for calling.
• If they are there, when they answer - Introduce yourself and explain what you would like to talk about.
• Have a pen and paper ready (you can use the Meetings Record Sheet, in this book if you like) to take notes.
Support each other
• Do your bit for the team - Remember what you said you would do. If you are having trouble getting it done - Let your teammates know.
• Encourage each other and give feedback.
• Keep records of conversations and things you have done. Pass this information around to all your team members. Perhaps use one folder that you leave in class and all the team can flip through when they need to.
Record sheets
My journal
Meetings record
Skills record
Tasks record
Reflection
Project planning sheet
Timeline
Student/community organisation project agreement
Budget and resources
Advance participation community project record book 2012 Page 25